


it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

by reddies_spaghetti



Series: IT 25 Days of Christmas [1]
Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Christmas Eve, Christmas Tree, Cold, Domestic Fluff, Eddie is an Elf, Established Relationship, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Hanukkah, Hot Chocolate, Kid Fic, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Meet-Cute, New York City, Nightmares, Sad, Santa Kink, Smut, Snow, Snowball Fight, Snowmen, Thanksgiving, sick richie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-05 06:52:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16805620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddies_spaghetti/pseuds/reddies_spaghetti
Summary: A collection of my entries for the IT 25 Days of Christmas Event!Some will be posted here and others will be posted separately, depending on their length :)





	1. day one: happy thanksgiving!

**Author's Note:**

> day one: thanksgiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The losers spend Thanksgiving together before Bev and Eddie go Black Friday shopping!

Ever since the losers all managed to escape Derry and head off to college, they made a deal that every year, no matter what, they would meet up and have Thanksgiving together. The first four years, when they were attending college, were tough and the dinner wasn’t as lavish as they could have imagined because of lack of money, but they kept their promise. After they graduated, things became a whole lot easier and the food brought it was more filling and exciting.

This year Thanksgiving was taking place in New York, at Ben and Bev’s place. Around two years into their college careers, Ben and Bev had gotten a small apartment in the city, affordable and close to both of their schools. It wasn’t the best place but it was theirs. Therefore, whenever of the losers came to the city, they found themselves sleeping on the couch, or in an airbed in their apartment.

When they decided to make this years gathering in New York, Richie had been adamant that they all attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, a demand that was met with no resistance. Eddie, who was helping Bev in the kitchen had set a timer on the turkey and put the vegetables on a slow timer before they all got dressed and headed to the centre of the city to watch the parade.

Richie was practically bouncing on his heels, the excitement of finally seeing the parade mixed with the chill in the air, one that he wasn’t used to in California. With a pout, he turned to Eddie, who was already digging a hat out of his back.

“What did I tell you? It’s freezing when you’re standing around waiting for something,” Eddie said pointedly and passed him some gloves too. “Now wrap up, I don’t want you getting sick.”

“Yes Doctor K,” Richie teased with a grin, pulling the hat and gloves on, feeling warmer instantly.

They all huddled together, Richie with his arm around Eddie’s waist, Ben holding Beverly’s hand tight, Stan with his head resting on Mike’s shoulder and Bill with his arm linked with his girlfriend Audra. As they watched the parade go by, they all had one thought in their minds. That this was shaping up to be their best Thanksgiving yet.

Once the parade was over, all eight of them headed back to Ben and Bev’s, where the turkey was just about cooked and the vegetables smelled amazing. With a warning to the others not to interfere, Eddie and Bev locked themselves in the kitchen to take care of the final preparations. Stan, Mike and Audra helped set the table whilst Richie, Bill and Ben took a seat by the tv, flicking through the channels to find something decent to watch that wasn’t sports.

“Dinner’s ready!” Bev called. “Ben would you help Eddie with the turkey? Bill and Richie would you get the vegetables?” All of the boys got to their feet, helping the chef’s out in any way they could.

Finally, they were all seated at the table, taking in the glorious dinner that Bev and Eddie had prepared. “This looks amazing, you did such a great job you guys,” Ben said softly, kissing Bev on the cheek and sending Eddie a grateful smile.

“We make a great team,” Bev smiled, taking Eddie’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “Before we tuck in, shall we go around and tell everyone what we’re thankful for?” Everyone at the table agreed and Bev cleared her throat, “I’ll go first. I’m thankful for you guys. You’re the best friends that I ever could have hoped for and you’ve helped me through so much. I love you all so much.”

Ben was next, taking Bev’s hand and bringing it to his lips, “I’m thankful for the roof we have over our heads. There are so many families out there who are on the streets, with no home to go to, so I am very thankful that I have this one with Bev, no matter how small.”

“I’m thankful for my family,” Mike said, closing his eyes. “They have supported me through everything and I don’t know what I’d have done without them. They made me the man I am today.”

Stan squeezed Mike’s hand over the table and he cleared his throat, “I’m thankful for our good health.” After the words left his mouth he knocked on the wooden table. ‘I’m so thankful that we are all healthy enough to be sitting here today.”

“I’m thankful for the food and water that we have access to,” Audra said softly. “It’s something that I feel we all take for granted, and definitely should be more thankful for. Without it, we’d all be dead.”

Bill pressed a kiss to Audra’s cheeks, “I’m grateful for technology. Without it, I’d be writing my novel on a typewriter and any mistake I made I would have to start all over again.” At that, the whole table broke into a laugh before they turned to Richie with expectant eyes. Every time they did this, Richie always said something ridiculous to be thankful for.

“This year, I’m not only thankful for the pie in the kitchen that I am going to devour, but also for Eddie’s sweet sweet ass,” Richie grinned and Eddie dug his elbow into his side. “Hey! I speak only the truth.”

“I hate you,” Eddie muttered, crossing his arms. “Now I have to change what I was thankful for.”

“What were you gonna be thankful for Eds?” Richie pestered and everyone else chimed in, eager to know.

With a sigh, Eddie laced his fingers with Richie’s and looked at all of the losers, “Love. I’m thankful for love. For the love of my friends...for the love I have with Richie.” Richie’s jaw dropped just a little as he stared at Eddie in shock. “I know that we’ve only been dating a few months, but we’ve been pining after each other for so much longer. It feels like we’ve been together since we were kids. I love you Richie.”

Eventually, Richie broke into a smile and stood up, pulling Eddie into his arms and spinning him around, “I love you too, Eddie Spaghetti. I love you too.” He leaned down and brought their lips together, earning sounds of ‘aww’ and ‘get a room’ from their friends.

“Alright, let’s eat!” Bev announced, clapping her hands. “Eddie and I need to be gone by six so we can get the early Black Friday sales!”

“I don’t know why you guys bother, it’s all scams,” Stan muttered with a mouth full of Turkey. “And so many people get hurt in the crowds.”

“That’s why Eddie’s coming with me,” Bev explained. “He’s small, compact and he’s feisty. No-one would dare touch us.”

They ate the rest of their meal in silence, and then when the boys made work of cleaning up the dishes, Bev and Eddie got ready to tackle the sales. “We’ll be home as soon as we have what we need. We’ll try not to wake you up,” Eddie whispered to Richie, pushing up on his toes to press a kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Eds. Now go get those cheap deals.”

“I will.”

It really was the best Thanksgiving so far.


	2. day two: Hanukkah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan explains Hanukkah to Mike. Fluffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day two: Hanukkah

Stan yawned and opened his eyes, feeling the empty space on the bed next to him, signalling that Mike was already up and moving. He smiled and pulled on his dressing gown and headed through to the kitchen. Mike was making tea, his underwear low on his hips and Stan walked up, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind.

“Morning,” Mike grinned, turning around and pressing a kiss into Stan’s hair. “Happy Hanukkah.”

“”Mhm, thank you but you don’t have to. I would never try to force my religion on you,” Stan said softly. Mike raised an eyebrow and he looked down at him and he shook his head.

“Whatever made you think that you’re forcing this on me?” He asked, running his hands up and down Stan’s arms. “I love you and I want to celebrate this holiday with you, because it’s important to you.”

“Are you sure?” Stan asked, taking Mike’s hand and leading him out of the kitchen and into the living room, taking a seat on the couch. “I can explain everything to you?”

“I would love that,” Mike nodded his head, taking Stan’s hands in his own and brushing his thumbs over his knuckles. “Lay it on my, dove.”

“So Hanukkah, also known as ‘The Festival of Lights’ is a jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire” Stan started, trying keep the description easy and light, not too complicated. “It’s observed for eight nights and days.” He looked up to make sure Mike was still with him.

“I’m still listening, please, keep going,” Mike urged and Stan nodded, shifting so he was leaning against Mike,

“So we have this candelabra, which is called a hanukkah menorah and it is what we use to light each candle for each day of the holiday,” Stan continued and he stood up, opening one of his cupboards and pulling his menorah out, sitting it on the table. “This is a smaller one than the one we had at home, but it does the trick.”

“It’s gorgeous,” Mike murmured, leaning forward to get a closer look. “When do you light the first candle?”

“Oh not until tonight,” Stan said with a smile. “It’s also become common these days for families to exchange gifts each day, a gift to represent each candle.”

Mike grinned, “This I did know about.” He winked and stood up, disappearing into their room and returning with a box. “Gift number one.”

Stan’s eyes widened and he looked from the box and back up to Mike, “Mike...you really didn’t have to,” he breathed, but accepted the box, holding it gingerly in his hand. He pulled the ribbon off of the box and pulled off the lid. He looked inside and his eyes watered at what was inside. He reached into the box and pulled out a small dove ornament with ribbon tied to it. “Oh Mike…”

“Do you like it?” Mike asked, tilting his head to the side. “I saw it in a small trinket store and I just had to get it for you. After all, you are my dove.”

“I love it,” Stan whispered, placing it back into the box and sitting it to the side. He had to make sure it was kept safe so it wouldn’t get broken. Once he was sure it was secure, he turned back to Mike and wrapped his arms around his neck, “I love you.”

Mike wrapped his arms around Stan’s waist, holding him tight and he pressed a kiss to his hair, “I love you too, dove.”

“Does this mean you have seven more gifts for me?” Stan asked with a smirk, pulling away to meet Mike’s eyes.

“Oh, I guess you’ll have to wait and see about that, Mr Uris. Don’t you want to be surprised?” Mike teased and Stan slapped him lightly. “Okay okay. Yes, you have seven more presents and I’ll help you light each candle every night too, because I love you.”

Stan beamed and pressed a light kiss to Mike’s lips, “I love you too.”


	3. day four: blizzard/hot chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie has a nightmare about something happening to Richie, and Richie makes him some hot chocolate to calm him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day four: blizzard/hot chocolate

The sound of a piercing scream echoing through the stillness of their bedroom that jolted Richie from his sleep. He was useless without his glasses, and add the sudden disruption to his tired brain, it took a lot of fumbling around for him to flick on the lamp.

The source of the screaming was coming from next to him, from Eddie. As Richie frantically pushed his glasses up his nose, he turned to face his fiance who was struggling against the sheets, sweat covering his skin and sticking to the sheets.

“Eds?” Richie muttered, placing a hand on his shoulder. When Eddie didn’t respond, or wake up he shook a little harder, raising his voice in an attempt to break Eddie out of his nightmare. “Eds! Eddie wake up. Come on baby, wake up.”

Eddie let out a whimper which soon turned into a full blown sob. Panic filled up in Richie’s body as he tried shaking Eddie once more, begging for him to wake up. It was then that Eddie mumbled something that caused Richie’s blood to run cold.

“No, no no, no Richie. Richie come back please don’t leave me.”

Richie shot out of bed and turned on the ceiling light before darting back to the bed, “Eddie, come on Eddie wake up. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. Come on baby.”

Much to his relief, Eddie’s eyes shot open, glancing back and forth frantically before they landed on Richie’s. As they did, his whole body relaxed and another sob bubbled up out of his throat, “Richie…”

“Hey, hey baby it’s okay. You were having a bad dream,” Richie breathed, shifting on the bed to pull Eddie into his arms. “You’re safe, I’m safe. It was just a dream.”

Eddie buried his face into Richie’s neck, clinging to him as he sobbed until he couldn’t sob anymore. Richie ran his fingers up and down Eddie’s back in a soothing motion, doing his best to calm him down. When the sobs finally did stop, Eddie pulled his head back and the red rimmed puffy eyes that stared back at Richie made his heart break.

“Richie,” Eddie whispered, brining a hand up to feel his face, as though he was making sure he was really there. “M’ Sorry I worried you.”

“Hey, no please don’t apologise,” Richie stressed, wiping Eddie’s cheeks with his thumb. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Eddie bit his lip and swallowed, resting his forehead against Richie’s, “Can you maybe make me some hot chocolate?” He asked quietly.

“Of course, do you want to move to the living room or do you want to stay in bed?” He asked, already rising to his feet and pulling a t-shirt on to protect him from the cold that would hit him when he left the bedroom. It was mid December and the temperature had dropped drastically, but they were still not financially stable enough to afford to keep the heating on all night.

“Can we stay in bed?” Eddie asked, pulling the sheets further up his body. “It’s too cold to move.”

Richie let out a chuckle and bent down, pressing a light kiss to Eddie’s lips, “I’ll be right back okay?” He waited to make sure Eddie was alright before he braved the cold and left the bedroom, heading down the hall to the kitchen.

He pulled out all the ingredients he needed to make the hot chocolate and poured them all into two large mugs before sliding them into the microwave for a few minutes. In the meanwhile, he grabbed the mini-marshmallows from the cupboard and the squirty cream from the fridge. When the timer went off, he pulled the mugs out and gave them a quick stir, topping them up with the marshmallows and cream before heading back to the bedroom.

Eddie was sitting up now, wearing one of Richie’s shirts that had been adorning the floor. Richie pursed his lips slightly and kicked the door closed with his foot, carrying the mugs over to the bed and passing one to Eddie. “Hot Chocolate, as requested.”

“Thanks, Rich,” Eddie whispered, taking a small sip from the mug. He scooted over so Richie could slip back into bed and he settled against him. “You died.”

“Hm?” Richie asked, not quite catching what Eddie said. “What was that?”

“In my dream...you died. It was awful and there was nothing I could do about it. We...some people broke into our house and you...you were the stupid idiot you always are and tried to defend us but you got shot and- and one of them was holding me back and I had to watch as you bled out and-” another sob started up in Eddie’s throat but Richie was quick to pull him close.

“Hey, hey no. It was a dream, it was just a really awful dream. No-one broke in and no-one shot me. I’m right here,” Richie assured him, pressing kisses to his hair.

“I was so scared,” Eddie whispered. “Promise me...promise me that if something like that does happen you won’t try to play hero. Promise me Richie? I can’t lose you...I can’t do this on my own.

“You won’t have to,” Richie whispered. “I promise I won’t try and play hero. Everything is going to be fine, and in four weeks we’ll be married. Nothing bad is going to happen to me okay?”

“Okay,” Eddie whispered, closing his eyes and taking another sip of the hot chocolate, licking the cream from his lips.

He settled back into Richie’s arms and they finished off the hot chocolate before settling back into bed. Richie flicked of both the lights and happened to glance out the window and a smile took over his face. “It’s snowing.”

“Mhm?” Eddie mumbled, sitting up and looking out the window. “Oh, wow...it’s heavy.”

Richie climbed back into bed and pulled Eddie between his arms, “Maybe, if it snows hard enough we’ll get a snow day tomorrow.”

“Keep dreaming Tozier,” Eddie whispered, yawning. Richie chuckled and pressed a kiss to his neck.

“Love you Eds.”

“Love you too Richie. So much.”


	4. day five: travelling home/family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie has to go home for the holidays and he invites his colleague eddie to pretend to be his boyfriend to get his parents off his back, not knowing that Eddie is already in love with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day five for the it 25 days of Christmas event! Sorry it's like...four days late!

“Fucking fuckity fuck.”

Those were the words that broke Eddie’s concentration and he looked over towards the source, his colleague and friend, Richie. He pushed his glasses up his nose and turned his attention completely to his colleague, trying to hold back the smile that took over his face whenever he even  _ thought _ about him. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, leaning his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his hands. “If you made a mistake I’m sure we can fix it.”

Richie looked up and Eddie swore that he saw his eyes sparkle as they landed on him, “Oh no Eds, it’s not a work thing,” Richie explained and flashed him a smile. “But thank you for your concern.”

Eddie rolled his eyes and tried to ignore the fluttering in his stomach at the nickname, “What have I told you about calling me that?” 

“You love it really, you can’t lie to me,” Richie grinned, leaning over to tap Eddie’s glasses above his nose. It twitched in response and he swallowed thickly, willing his face not to heat up. “Anyways, it’s not a work thing. It’s a family thing.”

“I thought you got on well with your family?” Eddie asked, frowning and scooting closer to Richie on his chair. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Richie laughed and shook his head, running his fingers through his curls, “Unless you want to be my boyfriend over the holidays then I don’t think there is anything you can do to help.”

At Richie’s words, Eddie choked on the air that he breathed as he stared at him with wide eyes, “What?”

“My parents,” Richie started. “I love them to pieces, of course I do they’re my mom and dad but...the past few years around this time of year they tend to get nosy about what’s going on in my personal life. They ask about whether I’m seeing anyone and every year I tell them no, and that if I was I’d tell them.” He scooted closer on his own chair so he was sitting directly across from Eddie. “I just got a text from my mom, asking if I’d be joined by anyone this year so they could order in the food.”

“Oh,” Eddie said quietly and he bit down on his inner cheek. Out of all the holidays in the year, Christmas was actually Eddie’s favourite growing up. His dad always went above and beyond to give Eddie the perfect Christmas, but since he passed away a few years ago, things had changed. His mother hated the holiday, as well as Eddie’s life choices, which drove a wedge between them. Now, Eddie spent Christmas in his apartment, alone. 

“Normally, I’d just tell her that once again, I don’t have anyone but...I’m tired of disappointing her,” Richie sighed. “What a pickle.”

“Richie...I doubt you’re disappointing your parents. I’m sure they’d want you to be with someone that you were in love with, not someone just because they want you to be with someone.” Eddie explained. He was silent for a while and maybe it was the pout on Richie’s face or something deep inside his gut, but he started talking again. “But if you really don’t want to spend the holidays alone...I don’t have any plans…”

Richie’s head shot up and his eyebrows were raised, “You’re not going home for Christmas?” He asked, and Eddie shook his head. “Why not?”

“My mother and I don’t get along. She doesn’t approve of my sexuality and if I go back home, I don’t think she’d ever let me leave. I just got out by the skin of my teeth.” Eddie explained. Sure, he and Richie had gotten close over the seven months they had been sharing an office space, but Eddie wasn’t one to talk about his mother openly. However, he trusted Richie. “My dad passed away my senior year. Cancer.”

“Oh Eds, I’m so sorry,” Richie whispered, placing a hand over Eddie’s and squeezed. “You really want to come to California with me?”

“Beats spending another Christmas alone in my apartment with cheap take out,” Eddie said quietly. “But only if you want. I don’t want to come with you if deep down I annoy you.”

Richie stared at him, almost like a gaping fish, “Eds, have I ever said or done anything to make you believe that I don’t old you in the highest regard?” He spoke in a fake English accent, making Eddie snort. “Seriously, you’re the one person that keeps me sane here and don’t think for a second that I don’t love our late after-work drinks.”

With a smile, Eddie held out his hand, “Then consider me your boyfriend for the next two weeks.” Even though he knew it was fake, and they were in no way really dating, Eddie couldn’t control the way his heart began to thud against his ribcage. 

Especially when Richie flashed him that smile that made his insides melt. 

“You are a lifesaver, Eddie Spaghetti. A real lifesaver,” he winked and Eddie glared at him.

“Don’t fucking call me that.”

* * * * *

In his twenty four years of life, Eddie had never been to the west coast of the States, so you could imagine his surprise when he stepped off of the plane in California to find it somewhat warm. Warm. In  _ December. _

“It’s like I’ve entered an alternate universe,” he muttered, shedding his coat and tying it around his waist. Next to him Richie barked out a laugh and threw an arm over his shoulder. 

“I told you, it never snows here,” Richie winked and Eddie’s stomach flipped. 

Once they collected their bags, they headed to the arrivals lounge where Richie’s dad would be there to pick them up. On the flight over, they had discussed a game plan, with Richie declaring that he would do nothing that Eddie found uncomfortable. However, Eddie was quick to let Richie know that he would tell him if he was uncomfortable, but otherwise he was game for anything. 

He must be stupid to tell Richie not to stand close to him, or hold his hand, or god forbid  _ kiss _ him.

As they stepped out into arrivals, Richie raised his hand in a greeting and Eddie followed his gaze to a man that could be no other than his father. They looked so similar it was insane. His father walked over to them and pulled Richie into a tight hug. 

“It’s good to see you son,” Went said as they parted and he turned his attention to Eddie. “And you must be Eddie. It’s so nice to meet you and we’re happy to have you for the holidays.”

‘Thank you for having me, Mr Tozier,” Eddie said softly and shook his hand. 

“Oh please, call me Went. Anyone who can put up with Richie and his quirks is family to us,” Went grinned and patted Eddie on the shoulder. “How about we get all these bags into the car and head home? Your mother’s been slaving in the kitchen and stressing about making everything perfect.”

Richie rolled his eyes and helped his dad put the bags into the trunk before holding open the door for Eddie to slide into the back. He joined him a few moments later and then, with no prompting at all, laced their fingers together. “So mom’s being...mom then?”

“Basically,” Went said with a laugh as he pulled out of the airport and onto the highway. “So Eddie, how do you put up with Richie?”

“ _ Dad _ .” Richie stressed. ‘We’ve been in the car for less than ten minutes. Can’t you wait a little before you grill us about our relationship?”

“Can’t blame a man for being curious!” Went grinned before focusing on the road. Richie settled back in the car and Eddie carefully rested his head on his shoulder.

Richie shifted so Eddie could get more comfortable, “Tired?” He asked and Eddie nodded his head, closing his eyes. 

‘Longest flight I’ve ever been on,” he whispered.

“You can have a nap when we get to the house, it’ll be awhile before dinner is even close to being ready,” Richie explained and Eddie nodded.

They fell into a comfortable silence for the rest of the car journey, which wasn’t that long and soon enough they were pulling up at what Eddie could only assume was Richie’s family home. It was bigger than he imagined and he had to swallow his gasp...Richie’s family were  _ rich. _ They got out the cars and their bags were dumped in the foyer by Went and Richie, as Eddie looked around the place in awe. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear Richie call his name the first time.

“Eds?” Eddie turned his head and blinked a few times. “Okay?”

“Mhm,” he nodded, moving to Richie’s side. “You have a lovely home.”

Richie didn’t get a chance to response as a woman's voice called down the hall in excitement, “Richie!” From the top of the stairs, Richie’s mother Maggie appeared and she rushed down the steps, pulling her son into a tight hug. “Oh sweetheart I’ve missed you!”

“Hi mom, missed you too,” Richie said fondly, hugging her back.

Maggie Tozier was what Eddie could describe as a breath of fresh air. She was considerably shorter than both Richie and Went, and she had a smile so warm it would melt the coldest of hearts. When she pulled away from Richie she turned to Eddie, her arms wrapping around him in a hug. “Oh Eddie, it’s so nice to meet you sweetheart! We’ve heard so much about you. Are you tired?”

“It’s really nice to meet you too Mrs Tozier,” Eddie said softly, hugging her back. “A little.”

“Call me Maggie, I insist.” She smiled and stepped back. “We’ve set up the bedroom for you two, so please go freshen up, have a nap and we’ll call when dinner is ready. I’m so glad that you decided to join us, Eddie.”

Her warm and loving nature towards him made Eddie’s heart hurt at the fact that he was lying to her. He wasn’t Richie’s boyfriend and really, he had no real right merging himself into their family.

It was going to be a long two weeks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wants me to continue this please let me know!


	5. day six: ice skating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Richie go ice skating at the Rockefeller Centre Ice Rink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day six for the IT 25 days of Christmas event!

Eddie let out a laugh as he span around in the ice, watching as Richie gripped onto the edge of the rink for dear life. It had been his idea for them to go ice skating when they were visiting Stan in New York, but he had no idea that Richie had no idea how to. 

“Richie just let go, you’ll be fine!” He called and Richie looked up, his eyes narrowing even though he was smiling. 

“Are you serious, Eds? I can barely balance on the ground, never mind the ice!” He let out a gasp as he lost his balance, which made him grip onto the side harder. “See! You go on ahead!”

Eddie skated over to him and held out his hands, “Come on Richie. Take my hand, I’ll keep to balanced.”

With a skeptical eyebrow raise, Richie slowly took Eddie’s hands, squeezing tight as he was guided away from the edge, “Shit, shit Eds.” More profanities fell from Richie’s lips the further Eddie ventured onto the ice. A few times he felt his balance falter, but Eddie was always right there to help him get steady again.

“See? It’s not so bad is it?” Eddie asked, still keeping a firm grip on his hands. Richie grumbled and Eddie snorted, rolling his eyes slightly as the moved across the ice slowly and carefully. 

The ice rink was full of little kids and teenagers, some showing off their skills on the ice and zooming past them. Others were like Richie was, gripping onto the edge, too scared to venture out further in case of humiliation when their asses hit the floor. A few couples were moving between them, holding their hands like they were and then there were a few who didn’t care, and were happy to fall on their asses.

They were doing so well,  _ too _ well for that matter and Richie was starting to get a little over confident. Eddie, with a sly smirk, seemed to pick up on the fact and when Richie was least expecting it, he let go. The look of horror that crossed his boyfriends face once he realised he was alone on the ice with nothing, or no-one to hold on to was one of the best things Eddie had ever seen.

“Every man for himself now, Rich!” Eddie grinned, skating backwards, away from Richie as he tried to scramble to grab onto him.

“I swear to god Eddie, if I go down, you’re going down with me,” Richie glared and Eddie tilted his head to the side in confusion. It didn’t last long as out of nowhere, Richie pushed himself forward on his skates, catapulting into Eddie and sending them both stumbling back and onto the ice.

A noise between a scream and a laugh left Eddie’s lips as he landed on the ice with a laughing Richie on top of him, “You asshole!” He laughed out, covering his face with his hands and Richie rolled off him. A few people stopped to make sure they were okay, but once they saw they were laughing, they quickly skated on.

“You let go! You deserve all you get!” 

Eddie sat up and stuck his tongue out at Richie, getting to his feet and helping Richie to his. They skated back to the edge and Eddie felt a shiver run through his body courtesy of the cold New York air. “Shall we get off and go for some hot chocolate?” He suggested and Richie grinned, leaning over and pressing his lips to his in a sweet kiss.

“Best idea you’ve had all day.”


	6. day seven: catching a cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie is sick and Eddie pays him a visit (cute kid fic)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day seven: catching a cold

It was two weeks before Christmas and the school was buzzing with the excitement of the upcoming holidays. Talks of what Santa Claus was going to leave under their tree and what treats they were going to leave for the reindeer were exchanged in glee. However, one child amongst the excited ten year olds wasn’t feeling very festive.

Eddie Kaspbrak sat at the back of the classroom, colouring in the card that he had been working on for a few hours now, quiet as a mouse. He found it a little surprising just how calm the classroom was when his best friend wasn’t around, and he also found it surprising how unsettling it was.

Richie Tozier, Eddie’s best friend and partner in crime had been off school for a week with a really bad cold. That Monday, when Richie hadn’t show up, he had gone home and begged his dad to call Richie to make sure he was okay. That was when he found out that Richie was sick.

At first, Eddie really wanted to pay a visit to him, to make sure he was okay, but then he remembered his mothers warnings about germs and set his mind on making Richie a ‘Get Well Soon’ card.

Now it was Friday and Richie had been absent for a whole school week. Eddie missed him like crazy and he soon realised that when Richie wasn’t around, cracking jokes, no-one really paid much attention to him. As they day had gone on, he was sure that since it had been a week, Richie wouldn’t have _too_ much germs which meant that he would be able to go visit.

He smiled triumphantly as he finished his card and slipped it into his backpack just in time for the bell to ring at the end of the day. Eddie pulled his jacket on and rushed outside to where his dad was waiting to pick him up.

“Dad!” He called, coming to a stop in front of him.

“What is it champ?”

“Please can we go visit Richie before we go home?” Eddie begged, using his best puppy look. He watched his dad consider it before he sighed and nodded with a smile, opening the car door so Eddie could get in and strapped up.

“Alright, but only for a little while okay? I still think he’s a little sick,” His dad explained and Eddie nodded his head. He was just happy that he was finally getting to see his best friend for the first time in a week,

When they arrived at the Tozier resident, Maggie opened the door with a warm smile.

“Well hello there Eddie, what a surprise!” She smiled, kneeling down to his level after giving his dad a quick hello.

“Hi there Mrs Tozier, I came to see if Richie is feeling better?” Eddie said softly, reaching into his bag for the card. “I made him a card at school with glitter and stars to make him feel better.”

Maggie smiled and stood up to open the door wider, “Well, lucky for you, Richie is feeling a lot better and I think he’d be up to seeing his best friend, but only for a little while.”

Eddie nodded his head and rushed past Maggie and up the stairs towards Richie’s room. When he opened the door, Richie sat up in his bed, a smile taking over his face as he fixed his glasses. “Eds!”

“Hi Richie, are you feeling better?” He asked, walking over to the bed and holding out the card. “I made you a card at school.”

Richie took it carefully, paying mind of the glitter and he sat it on his counter, “Thank you Eds! I love it.”

Eddie took a seat on the edge of Richie’s bed, pouting a little, “I missed you at school. I don’t like it when you’re sick.”

“I didn’t like it either Eds!” Richie groaned. “But when I went to the doctor, he have me a lollipop for being a good boy. I couldn’t eat it though, cause my tummy was sore, so I kept it. It’s your favourite, so would you like it?” He asked, reaching into the drawer by his bed and pulling out a blue lollipop. “Here.”

Gingerly, Eddie accepted the lollipop and sat it on the bed. He opened his mouth to say something when Richie sneezed into a hanky and wiped his nose. “Do you need more?” He asked and Richie nodded his head.

“Please..”

Eddie quickly left Richie’s bedroom and walked to the bathroom, grabbing a fresh set of hanky’s and returning to Richie’s room. He pulled one out and held it up to Richie’s nose, “Blow.”

“Dr K to the rescue,” Richie grinned and blew into the hanky. “Thank you Eds. For coming to see me, for the card to. I’ve missed you too this week.”

“You’ll be back to school on Monday right?” Eddie asked and Richie nodded his head confidently.

“You betcha.”

A few minutes later, Eddie’s dad was calling him for them to go home and he waved goodbye to Richie. This time he wasn’t sad, because he knew he would be seeing him again on Monday.


	7. day eight: building a snowman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reddie and their daughter play in the snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day 8: building a snowman

“Daddy, papa!” A small voice called, waking Richie up from his sleep. He opened his eyes and smiled down at his daughter, Maggie, who was standing by the side of his bed. “Daddy.”

“What’s up chickpea?” Richie asked rubbing his eyes of the sleep and sitting up. Next to him, Eddie stirred a little but didn’t wake up, to which Richie was glad for as he had been working long shifts at the hospital.

“It was snowing last night, can we go out and play in it?” Maggie begged, flashing her big puppy eyes at him. Richie was never able to resist Maggie and her begging look so he nodded and slipped out of bed. He quickly pulled some warm clothes over his pyjamas before taking Maggie to her room, closing the bedroom door behind them so Eddie could sleep longer.

Soon, the two of them were out in the snow, giggling as they threw snowballs at one another and made disastrous snow angels. Maggie’s cheeks were flushed with the cold, but she was giggling and having the time of her life.

Then, out of nowhere, a snowball hit his back and Richie span around to see Eddie standing on the porch, dressed in his winter clothes. “Playing in the snow without me are we?”

“Papa!” Maggie grinned and rushed over to Eddie, pulling him down into the heart of the snow. “We’re gonna build a snowman papa!”

“Are we now?” Eddie asked and soon, all three of them were making quirk work of building the best snowman their neighbourhood had ever seen. By the time they were finished, Maggie was sniffling and Richie picked her up, ready to head inside.

“Did you have fun chickpea?” Richie asked and Maggie nodded, closing her eyes as exhaustion set in.

“Yeah daddy, I had the best time-”

Just like that, Maggie was out like a light. When they got into the house, Eddie headed to the kitchen to put the kettle on and Richie put Maggie to bed for a nap. When he returned to the kitchen, he pulled Eddie into a hug, “You’re not mad that I didn’t wake you up are you?”

Eddie chuckled lightly and shook his head, “Of course not baby, I needed that sleep.”

“You work too hard,” Richie sighed, pressing a kiss to Eddie’s hair and he picked up his cup. “Maggie’s asleep. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” He asked, waggling his eyebrows.

“Nap?” Eddie grinned and Richie laughed, nodding as he took Eddie’s hand to lead him up the stairs.

“Nap.”


	8. day nine: working in retail over the holidays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie is working as an Elf on Christmas Eve and Richie is a late shopper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day nine: working in retail over the holidays

Eddie stared at his watch for the fourth time in the past five minutes, begging anyone who was listening for time to go faster. It was Christmas Eve, and instead of being at home, wrapped up in his many blankets watching Home Alone, he was stuck dressed up as an elf slam bang in the middle of a department store. Parent’s were dragging their little kids past the stand, hurting his ears as they screamed their wishes to visit santa.

He had no idea why he was still dressed up so close to the end of the day, especially since it was thirty minutes till the mall department store closed and the Santa was probably already gone. Glancing from side to side, seeing that there was only a few stragglers around the Grotto area, Eddie pulled out his phone and started scrolling through his Facebook feed. He smiled as he saw photo’s of Bev and Ben’s present set up for their three year old son James. 

“Shit!” A voice called out and Eddie looked up just in time to see a man stumble his way through the mall, carrying at least ten bags in his arms. His eyebrow quirked up just slightly as his flustered appearance and he found himself surprised when he called out.

“Need a hand?” The man looked up, his eyes meeting Eddie’s and he felt something stir in his stomach. As quickly as it arrived, it was gone and Eddie stepped out from behind the counter, walking over to the man. “The store closes in less than twenty minutes…”

“My oh my, Santa heard my wish and sent me an Elf to help me with my struggles!” The man quipped and normally Eddie would have been pissed off about the comment but there was something about this man that intrigued him.

“I guess it’s your lucky day,” Eddie grinned and stepped to the side. “Put your bags behind there, they’ll be safe and tell me what else you need to get?”

“Oh I don’t have anything else left to get, I was just struggling with my bags,” the man grinned. He held out his hand, “Richie.”

“Eddie.” Eddie responded and shook his hand. “So if you don’t need to get anything else, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I’m not one to walk away from a cute guy, especially when they are dressed as an elf,” Richiie smirked, leaning on the desk that separated them. “Also I maybe, kind of knew you’d be here?”

“Wait what?” Eddie asked, frowning. “I don’t know you?”

“No...but you know Beverly Marsh right? Has she been trying to set you up on a blind date with someone these past weeks?” Richie asked and Eddie frowned even more before nodding his head.

“...Yes?”

“Well uh, I’m him. I’m the guy she’s been trying to set you up with,” Richie said a little bashfully, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “Sorry, this might be a little weird but she told me who you were and I really just wanted to meet you.”

“No, no it’s okay. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to, it’s not that I was avoiding it. I’ve just been so busy,” Eddie stressed. Sure, it sounded a little like an excuse but Eddie was being 100% honest. “But...maybe we can go on that date after the holidays?”

Richie pursed his lips and smiled at Eddie, making that same feeling from earlier stir in his stomach, “Why wait till after the holidays. You’re finished right?” Eddie nodded his head. “Want to get dinner with me?”

“You know what? Sure. Why not.”

Richie grinned and clapped his hands together, grinning from ear to ear. “Merry Christmas to me.”


	9. day ten: Santa baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Santa baby, hurry down the chimney tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day ten: Santa baby

The second the lock clicked on the door, Eddie and Richie stumbled into their apartment, their lips moulding together passionately. Richie kicked the door closed and he pushed Eddie’s jacket off of his shoulders, letting it drop to the floor as his trailed his lips down his jaw to his neck.

“I can’t believe me dressing up as Santa was a turn on for you,” Richie breathed against Eddie’s skin, grinning as he almost went pliant in his arms. A shiver ran down Eddie’s spine as Richie pushed his hands under his shirt to caress his skin. 

“Shut up,” Eddie mumbled, closing his eyes. “I’m just as surprised as you are.”

“Was it the beard or the red suit that did it for you?” Richie growled softly, pulling off his own shirt before helping Eddie out of his pants. They were nowhere near the bedroom so once Eddie was out of his pants, Richie hiked his legs up around his waist and carried him there. 

“Just...everything. Kinda wish we could have brought it home with us,” Eddie laughed as his back hit the mattress and he pulled Richie down into another kiss. 

“Mhm, I guess you’ll just have to imagine,” Richie trailed his fingers down Eddie’s sides, making him squirm. “Have you been good this years Eds? Or have you been naughty?” A moan passed Eddie’s lips and he closed his eyes arching his hips up into Richie’s, grinding against him. “Ah ah ah baby, answer me.”

“I think I’ve been naughty,” Eddie whimpered out, his eyes darkening which coaxed another growl out of Richie’s throat. 

“That’s right baby, you’ve been a naughty boy all year which means if you want to get something good, you’re going to have to work for it.” Richie sucked a mark onto Eddie’s neck, but held his hips down to stop him arching up into him. 

“I’ll do anything, I wanna be a good boy,” Eddie whispered, wriggling against Richie’s hold. Richie chuckled and pursed his lips before he pulled Eddie’s underwear down and spread his legs. 

“I’m gonna open you up baby, and then you’re going to ride me but you’re not allowed to come until I tell you to, you got it?” Richie said seriously and Eddie nodded his head.

“Yes, yes got it.” 

Richie got to work in stretching Eddie open, changing his pace from fast to slow, rubbing his fingers against his prostate. When he felt his boyfriend get close to the edge, he’d stop, only to restart again. He repeated the same motion over and over until he was sure that Eddie was stretched enough. “Are you ready?” He teased, rubbing his fingers over Eddie’s rim, making him whimper.

“Rich- Richie please. I need you inside me please!” Eddie sobbed and Richie nodded his head, grabbing a condom and rolling onto his back. He pulled the condom on and helped Eddie lined up on his lap, sinking down onto his cock. “ _ Fuck _ ”

“That’s it baby,” Richie gritted out. “Ride me, come on.”

At first, Richie let Eddie go at his own pace, but after a while he placed his hands on Eddie’s hips, coaxing him to pick up the pace. Moans and gasps spilled from both of their lips and Eddie leaned down to seal their lips together in a deep, dirty kiss. “You feel so good,” he mumbled against Richie’s lips, biting down on his lower lip. 

“Don’t be naughty baby,” Richie breathed, moving his hand down to squeeze Eddie’s ass, planting a smack there. His boyfriend whined and Richie grinned. “You like that?”

“Ngh,” Eddie whined. “But we’re not going to explore that yet....”

“Of course not, are you close baby?” Richie asked and Eddie nodded his head, picking up the pace as he bounced up and down on Richie’s lap.

“Please Rich, please I need to come, please?”

Richie, who was dangerously close to the edge, nodded his head, reaching down to wrap his hand around Eddie’s cock, “Come on baby, come for me.”

With a whine, Eddie let his head fall back and his orgasm crashed over him in waves, come splattering over both of their stomachs. The feeling of Eddie clenching around him caused Richie’s own orgasm to wash over him and he spilled into the condom.

As the two of them caught their breaths, Eddie let out a chuckle against Richie’s skin before he started humming the familiar tune of “Santa Baby”. Then came the singing, “ _ Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex and checks, Sign your 'x' on the line, Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight. _ ”

Richie laughed and joined in, singing the next line of the song, even though his voice was rough from the sex, “ _ Come and trim my Christmas tree, With some decorations bought at Tiffany,I really do believe in you,”Let's see if you believe in me. _ ”

Eddie snorted and buried his head into Richie’s neck before he moved off of him to head to the bathroom, grabbing his underwear as he went. Richie sat up, disposing of the condom and wiping himself down with the wet wipes by the bed. He grinned wide as he heard Eddie continue the song from behind the bathroom door.

“ _ Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring _

_ I don't mean on the phone _

_ Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight  _

_ Hurry down the chimney tonight  _

_ Hurry, tonight _ ”

Richie swallowed and pulled his underwear back on, reaching into his drawer and pulling out a little black box. Slowly, he got down on one knee in front of the bathroom door and opened the box. His heart was hammering in his chest as Eddie opened the door, stepping back into the bedroom and stopping still, eyes blowing wide at the sight. 

“Richie?” Eddie breathed, covering his mouth with his hand.

“Will you?” He asked, holding out the ring. “Will you marry me, Eddie?”

With a large smile, Eddie nodded his head and threw himself at Richie, sending the two of them to the floor as he peppered kisses over his cheeks and lips. 

“Yes.”


	10. day eleven: old/new traditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Richie go to find a Christmas Tree as part of an old tradition, but it doesn't go to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day eleven: old/new traditions

With a shiver, Eddie stepped out of the car and walked around to meet Richie on the other side. He smiled softly as Richie wrapped his arm around his shoulders and they walked into the Christmas Tree lot. All around them families were laughing as they joyfully picked out the perfect Christmas Tree. Eddie however, felt extremely bittersweet about the whole thing, since the last time he had picked out a tree this way for four years ago, with his dad. 

“Are you sure about this, babe?” Richie asked, pulling Eddie a little closer to his side as they walked around, looking at the trees on show. “We can just go to the department store again?”

“No,” Eddie shook his head. “No I...I want to do this. I want to honour the tradition we had together. It’s been four years, I’m ready.”

Richie pressed a kiss to Eddie’s hair and they laced their fingers together, weaving in and out of the trees. “What about this one?” Richie suggested, pointing to one of the tree’s and Eddie blinked a few times, staring at it as tears built up in his eyes. “Eds?”

He swallowed thickly and shook his head, leading Richie away from the trees. As the night wore on, the more tree’s Eddie passed up. None of them were right, none of them made Eddie feel that magic spark that he always felt when he came here with his dad. Then at the thought of his father, Eddie burst into tears, promptly turning and burying his head in Richie’s shoulder. “I- I can’t...I can’t do this.”

“Hey, hey baby it’s okay,” Richie soothed, rubbing a gloved hand up and down Eddie’s back. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for okay? We can go home and tomorrow we can go to the department store for a tree, or we can use the one we bought last year. I think it’s still in the loft.”

As Eddie’s sobs slowly calmed down he nodded his head and they headed back to the car. “I- I’m sorry I ruined a nice trip,” he whispered. “I thought- I really thought that I was ready to make a new tradition with you but...but I’m not.”

Richie started up the car and they headed out of the parking lot and back onto the freeway, “And that’s okay. The Christmas Tree lot was a tradition you had with your dad, and you can take as long as you want until you’re ready to take up that tradition again.”

A small smile made its way onto Eddie’s face and he reached over to take Richie’s hand. The remainder of the car ride was in silence, and when they pulled up into the car park of their apartment building, Eddie slipped out and headed up in front of Richie. 

He knew that Richie would give him the space he needed and he locked himself into the study room, sinking down the door and burying his face into his hands. Why did he still find this so hard? It had been four years since his dad had passed away, surely he should be able to pick out a damn Christmas Tree with his boyfriend. 

May things passed through his mind about why he wasn’t able to move on. He was still grieving, it was a thing that he did with his dad and he didn’t want to replace that memory....that and Eddie still didn’t have closure. With a quick glance up to the box on top of the cupboard, Eddie sat up and picked it up, pulling it down onto the table. The box contained what Eddie believed to be his dad’s most personal belongings, but since it had remained closed since it had been put into his hands at the funeral, he couldn’t be sure.

It was given to him by his dad’s close friend and colleague at the Fire Department, who had told him that his father had kept it in his safe at the station, and he was told to give it directly to Eddie if anything was to happen to him. It had been four years, and Eddie had never opened the box, not even for a peek. 

Now, however, he thought it was time he finally opened the box.

With a deep breath, Eddie opened up the box, finally looking inside at its contents. More tears built up in his eyes as he pulled out his dad’s baseball cap, the very one he used to wear to all of Eddie’s Little League games. He brought it up to his nose, inhaling deeply as his father’s scent filled him, causing a sob to break out fro, his lips. Carefully, he sat the scarf to the side and picked up the next item, a envelope full of pictures of him and his dad, with some appearances from Richie.

It was the last item in the box that caught Eddie by surprise though. It was a blank DVD disc. He frowned and pulled it out of its sleeve and carefully walked over to the TV. He slotted the disc into the DVD player and took a seat on the sofa, pressing play on the remote.

The screen was blank for a few seconds before his dad appeared on the screen. Eddie immediately recognised it as the study in his old house, the house he grew up in with his dad. He covered his mouth with his hand as he looked at the time and date stamp at the bottom of the screen. It was dated twenty four years ago...when Eddie would have been nothing but a mere five months old. His thoughts were caught off guard as his dad cleared his throat and started talking.

“Hi Eddie, I’m your dad, but of course you knew that...I hope. If you’re watching this, I’m dead. I know, pretty morbid right? But I was with a friend and they thought it would be a good idea to make one of these for you, just in case. You’re just a baby right now, four months old actually and you’re fast asleep in your crib after nana had fed you. She is such a help to me you know, since I’m all alone in this, but you know what? I’d never have it any other way. I’m just home from work, I’m a Firefighter, and it’s a dangerous job but you know what kiddo? I love it and I hope when you’re older you’ll be proud of me. Because I’m proud of you. No matter what you do, or who you become I am so proud of you and I love you so much. You are the joy of my life Eddie and I can’t wait for us to do all the amazing dad-son things I’ve got planned. I hope...I hope you were never scared to talk to me, I hope I was a good dad to you. I love you so much Eddie. More than anything in this world. Love you kiddo.”

Then just like he had appeared, the screen went blank and silence filled the room. Tears dripped down his cheeks and he rewinded, watching the video over and over again. He only stopped when he heard Richie knock on the door and he wiped his eyes, opening the door to let him in.

“Baby? Are you alright?” Richie asked, worry clear in his voice. Eddie nodded his head and pulled him into the room, sitting him down and playing the video again. “Oh...baby.”

“I’m proud of my dad, Rich,” Eddie whispered. “He...he raised me all on his own because my mother didn’t want me. He was the best dad I ever could have asked for and...and I  _ miss _ him. I miss him so fucking much but...but he wouldn’t want me to be sad. He would want me to move on and make new traditions with you.” 

Richie wiped away Eddie’s tears with his thumb, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “In your own time.”

“I know I said earlier that I wasn’t ready but...but I think this video was exactly what I needed to help me get closure about what happened. My dad loved me, and he loved his job. What happened was an accident and...and I think I’m ready for us to go choose a Christmas Tree. Together.”

“Are you sure?” Richie asked, taking Eddie’s hands and squeezing. 

Eddie nodded, squeezing his hands back, “I’m sure. Let’s go make my dad proud and buy the biggest, most amazing Christmas Tree.”

Richie smiled softly, staring deep into Eddie’s eyes, “I love you, Eds.”

“I love you too, Richie.”


End file.
